Shattered Destiny
by Of Stories Told
Summary: "When I was only a year old, my mother was brutally murdered by those that dare call themselves justice." Sequel to Whispered Words. How far will you go back for revenge?
1. Who will Aid the Fallen?

**_A/N:_**_This story is the sequel (and also beginning) of Whispered Words, while you technically don't have to read the other tale to enjoy this one, it does give you a bit of background information that likely won't be discussed in detail for this fic. I hope everyone enjoys this tale and the adventures to come._

_And now…_

_Onwards…_

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**_Declaimer: _**_Characters belong to J.K. Rowling (besides my OC)_

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There was a certain peace that one could only find when they are hidden amongst shrubbery. The sun seemed to illuminate the green foliage, casting different hues of light onto the quiet sanctuary. The heady scent of flowers and herbs seemed to lull one to a sense of calm, and made staying awake a most difficult chore.

Harry lay within this small haven, his messy hair tangled with leaves and earth. A wry smile rested on his chapped lips as he wrapped his too thin arms around his waist. Dark green eyes were filled with fatigue as he lazily watched the sun set from his hiding place in the park. He could still hear the harsh and spiteful laughter of Dudley's old gang and didn't want to risk catching their attention by moving even the slightest bit. After the previous night's beating for a shattered glass cup, Harry had come to the quick decision to try and stay unnoticed for the remainder of his summer at Private Drive.

It seemed that the older he became, the more vicious his Uncle would behave towards him. Not to mention Dudley's old gang had no qualms over making him their target whenever they saw him walking around. He'd lost count over just how many times they had ganged up on him, beating him with their fist, or simply taking turns kicking him when they finally ran out of energy. To his dark amusement not even Vernon had ever been able to harm him as much as the group of boys was able to, and Merlin knows the man has tried. Thus he had taken to hiding from the gang and his uncle, only appearing before the lard of a man when forced to do chores in their 'normal' home.

Though sadly his hiding didn't really help much when his Uncle was of the mind to cause him harm for any small fault, regardless of whether or not the punishment was earned.

Taking a deep breath he gritted his teeth as his ribs seemed to cry out in pain and agony, causing a soft whimper to escape from his lips. Between Vernon's violent actions whenever he was drunk and the pure aggressiveness from the gang at Private Drive, he was barely ever without bruises or broken bones now, in fact since he had started Hogwarts, this had been one of the worst summers he's had gone through so far.

Slowly, not wanting to jostle any bones and cause himself more undue pain, he made his way into a sitting position. He paused every now and then; straining his ears to make sure no one was around before he was finally able to sit up. Biting his bottom lip he slowly lifted up his tattered shirt and bit back a weak whimper as his tired muscles protested even that small movement. His stomach was almost completely black, and his ribs, when not feeling numb, seemed to radiate pure pain throughout his body. He had gotten this injury the first night back at his relative's house, for fighting with his Uncle over allowing Hedwig to fly around at night. He hadn't smelled the scent of scotch on his uncle until it had been too late, and by then his body was in so much pain that the mere thought of fighting back made him tremble in fear.

Normally he wouldn't bat an eyelash over this type of injury, thanks to his magic he was a fast healer, he doubted he would have survived at the Dursley's if it wasn't for his abilities. But he was starting to get worried, his ribs had yet to heal, in fact it seemed as if his injuries were getting worse. It was almost impossible to bend now and he could barely run, much less walk at times, the only reason his Uncle had yet to notice this new occurrence was thanks to the man's complete obliviousness when it came to his nephew. In all honesty, he wasn't sure how much longer he could survive this. He had tried to ask for help from his friends, and even Dumbledore, but they were all suspiciously silent, even when they did respond to his letters it was to either to talk about inane things or simply tell him he was safe where he was for now. And ever since the tournament, he had been unable to reach Sirius, he could only hope the older man was safe, wherever he may be.

In truth, the odd distance in which his friends had been speaking to him since the end of the school year hurt. He had never told them the full extent of the abuse he suffered through, as he felt they would find fault in him for allowing a muggle man to harm him, regardless of the fact that using magic outside of school was against the rules. But he hadn't thought they would instantly believe him to be completely fine at the Dursley's. Especially Ron, he had seen the bars on his windows after all, and Harry knew for a fact that his friend had seen a few of his bruises on occasion, though he thankfully never commented on them. Didn't he find it strange though, did he even care?

The pain he was suffering through from his injuries seemed to get worse by the day, to the point that he was even tempted to owl Snape and beg the surly man for help. He knew the Snape hated the very air he breathed, but if there was even the slightest chance that the dreadful man would be willing to give him a potion for his pain… then Harry would quite willingly clean all of the Potion Master's mucky cauldrons for a year, with not a lip of complaint.

Sighing wearily to himself he decided not to think to much on his friends odd actions for now. He had bigger problems to worry about. Voldemort had finally managed to obtain a body. He had been unconscious for most of the ritual, only coming to when the man began to curse him; frightening crimson orbs had stared at him throughout his torture. Those orbs had shown nothing but insanity, and Harry feared what would become of the wizarding world once the dark wizard regained control of his followers. It was only thanks to Wormtail's folly that he had managed to escape. The rat of a man had tripped over the goblet, making it move just in reach of Harry's outstretched hand; allowing the portkey to take him away from the graveyard and back to the safety of Hogwarts. The school had gone into a panic at his return, with Cedric at the forefront apologizing profusely for making Harry take the cup and go alone. Harry however, had been thankful that the hufflepuff had convinced him against having them both reach for it, who knows what Voldemort would have done had Cedric been there as well…

Harry frowned as he noticed the sun was almost completely gone now. It was time to go back to his 'loving' relative's house. Hopefully his uncle hadn't drunk too many spirits today and would be too busy watching the telly to bother punishing him for yet another fabricated incident. With any extra luck he might even be able to finish any extra chores his Aunt gave him quickly, leaving him with more than enough time to pen a letter to Professor Snape in the plea for health potions. With a tired sigh he wearily stood up, thankful that he only felt a slight twinge of pain at the movement. The sun was almost completely gone now and he needed to head home before the last light of day faded away even more. Ever since Dudley turned over a new leaf, his Aunt had been in a rather irate mood, undoubtedly upset that her precious son no longer found enjoyment in eating family dinners, and preferred working late shifts in the auto shop to staying home all summer long and stuffing his face with greasy food.

Walking out of the small park his thoughts went back to his cousin. Ever since his third year the older boy had… well changed for lack of a better word. He had lost a surprisingly large amount of weight and was now barely ever home, this year especially Dudley seemed more focused working then goofing around and bullying the younger children in Private Drive. He had even broken off ties to his gang, something which had surprised Harry to no end. But what was truly shocking, was his cousin's change of attitude towards him. If they ever were around each other Dudley would simply quietly acknowledge his presence and then go about his business, he wouldn't cause a fuss, and he never blamed anything on Harry anymore. Harry had been flummoxed by his cousin's change of character, to the point that he even tried to catch the older boy's eye every now and then, just to make sure he hadn't been imperioed. His cousin was changing, in what way Harry hadn't the faintest clue, but compared to the past where the older boy was once his main tormentor, he quite liked the new and improved Dudley.

A terrified scream quickly broke him out of his musings. Suddenly aware of his surroundings he looked around wildly, trying to pinpoint where the scream had originated from. The sun had suddenly disappeared and even though it was the middle of summer it was now eerily cold. His breath caused the air to fog around him, making it hard to see out of his glasses. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as a sense of foreboding tingled down his spine.

It was cold.

So very cold.

He felt as if he would never be happy again.

He paled and scrambled to reach for his wand, cursing to himself when he realized he had left the blasted thing under his floorboards this morning. Taking a deep breath he tried to hurry home, being careful to mind his injuries as he tried to power walk the last few blocks to the Dursley's residence. His eyes kept looking around, trying to figure out where the dark beings had even came from. How was this even possible?! How could there be dementors in Little Winging?!

_'__Well…' _He thought spitefully to himself as his body protested against his fast pace. _'So much for being safe.' _

Another scream caught his attention then. Throwing caution to the wind he ran in the general direction from where he had heard the shouts coming from. He was utterly defenseless, but he wasn't about to let some poor innocent lose their soul; he just hoped he would be able to reach them in time. Right now he was extremely thankful for his burst of adrenaline, as it kept him from feeling the pain his body was now no doubt in. A tunnel came up ahead and he could just barely make out a blurry figure lying on the ground.

Running into the darkened tunnel he looked around, feeling his heart thundering loudly in he strained his eyes to catch sight of the rouge beings. He could feel that they were close, but wasn't sure where they were coming from. A loud whimper caught his attention and he turned to see a tall figure kneeling on the ground, shaking.

Walking towards the shaking man his eyes widened in surprise as he realized it was his cousin. The taller boy's lips were ice blue; a thin layer of sweat covered his body and made his oil stained shirt cling to him. Dudley's brown eyes were filled with absolute terror, and suddenly Harry remembered how magical creatures could affect muggles more so than witches or wizards.

"Dudley?" He whispered, his voice echoing through the tunnel. He was unsure of what to do; he hadn't expected to find his cousin here. The boy had seemed to make it his mission in life to spend as much time away from Private Drive as possible. How ironic that he would suddenly appear at the worst possible moment.

Wide brown eyes looked up at him, his cousin's tan skin now a sickly pale colour as the chill seemed to reach into his very soul. "H-h-harry." He stuttered, his teeth clacking loudly from both the cold and fear. "P-please st-stop!"

Harry stepped closer to his cousin, shocked when the older boy flinched away from him. "I'm not doing this Dudley." He whispered urgently, wanting to get back to the safety of the wards even more now. They were lucky that the dementors had yet to find them, but he knew it was only a matter of time. Placing a comforting hand on his cousin's broad shoulder, he stared into the older boy's eyes, hoping desperately that his cousin would realize just how dire their situation really was. "Dudley… If we don't leave now, the ones who are doing this will find us." Hesitantly he offered his hand to his cousin. They have never been on the best of terms, but he knew his cousin was different now, Harry could only hope that the difference was enough to make the older boy believe him.

Harry watched as countless emotions flashed through the older boy's eyes, before determination settled in those brown orbs. He tried to hide his shock when the taller boy grabbed hold of his hand, but failed horribly if Dudley's weak smirk was anything to go by.

Blinking at the utter surrealness of the moment he shook his head and gestured forward. "Let's go home."

Dudley nodded shakily as he stood up. "Yeah." He forced a grin on his lips as he started to move forward, leaning slightly on his younger cousin for support. "Though once we get there you and me are going to have a long overdue talk."

Harry chuckled in surprise before nodding, forcefully ignoring the twinges of pain he felt from his lower ribs at helping support Dudley's body against his own. "Sure."

They walked unsteadily towards the exit of the tunnel, Harry doing his best to ignore his aching ribs while Dudley struggled to keep upright, his legs threatening to give out at any given moment.

They had almost made it to the tunnel's exit when the sharp coldness and despair in the air suddenly increased to an almost unbearable level.

Faintly, Harry could hear his mother's screams.

"They've found us." He whispered weakly, trying not to fall into the horrible memory from his past.

The dementors quickly swooped into the dark tunnel; Harry dimly noted there were at least ten of them before his legs gave out. His head cracked against the cold pavement roughly and he whimpered weakly as the dementors began to overwhelm him. They were utterly vicious in their frenzy, memory after memory they took from him, greedily devouring any remnants of joy and happiness they could find, leaving him to feel unbearably hollow as they tore through him. He could hear screams, but was unsure if they were his own or coming from Dudley.

One of the dementors swooped down towards him, covering his small form with its large billowing cloak. Slowly, no doubt taking enjoyment from his misery it pulled down its hood, revealing rotten flesh and empty sockets where its eyes should have been. The creature's gaping mouth came closer to his own and he trembled in fear, realizing that this was it.

He was going to die.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to see his final moments. He wondered if he would be able to see his parents when he died, or would his soul be permanently stuck inside this dementor, doomed to never see his loved ones. The overwhelming sorrow he felt seemed to fill his very essence, a few tears leaked out of his closed lids as he smelled the scent of death and despair that clung to these dark creatures.

He was going to die.

He would be alone.

He would always be alone.

No one could ever want a frea-

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A bright light flashed from behind his closed lids, illuminating the once dark tunnel. Suddenly the cold left him, and all he could feel was a sense of warmth and love. Opening his eyes he blearily saw a glowing baby deer standing before him, tilting its head in curiosity as it pranced closer. The last sound he heard before darkness claimed him was a soft voice whispering loving words to him.

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**_A/N:_**_Yay for part one! I hope you will all enjoy this tale, though it may seem a bit strange at times. Please do leave a review if you've enjoyed this tale, as they always bring me joy and give me motivation. Thank you. _

_Till next time._


	2. Unexpected Savior

**_A/N:_**_A new chapter for everyone! I happy to see everyone enjoying this tale and thank you for all of your kind reviews! The story will start to pick up a bit in pace now, I hope everyone enjoys!_

_And now…_

_Onwards…_

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**_Disclaimer: _**_Besides OC, characters belong to J.K. Rowling_

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**_Trigger warning:_**_Brief mention of attempted suicide_

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"Keep…. wand… oy!"

"Wh… uo?"

Harry groaned weakly as he moved in and out of consciousness. His head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, and even the thought of opening his eyes made him whimper.

"Don't… safe… ow."

The voices around him were distorted, as if he were hearing them from far away instead of the close distance they no doubt were towards him. Drowsily he wondered just how hard he had hit his head in the attack. Nothing seemed to be making sense at the moment but since he could no longer feel the deep pervading chill around them he could only hope that something had managed to scare the dementors away for now. He started a bit in shock when he felt his body being lifted towards a warm chest, the rhythmic heartbeat near his ear easily threatened to pull him back to Morpheus realm.

Fighting against the urge to sleep he slowly opened his eyes only to groan at the pain that small action caused. The dim light from the streetlamps around them seemed to burn straight to his retinas, making him curse his hasty decision to satisfy his curiosity instead of just letting his body rest. The person carrying him immediately stopped moving, making an awkward silence fill the air. He noticed with a hint of embarrassment a conversation had been going on around him as he struggled towards consciousness, one he evidently had missed.

"Oh Harry! Thank heavens you're alright!" Harry watched with a look of absolute bewilderment as Mrs. Figg walked quickly towards him, only to scowl angrily as the man holding him tightened his grip on Harry's body and moved them both out of the old woman's reach. She tutted angrily but didn't move closer. "Impolite boy! Can't you see I just want to make sure he's alright after that nasty fall!?"

"I'm sorry Miss." The teen answered with a silky voice, oddly enough making Harry instantly calm as he watched this odd interaction. "But weren't you the one that stated we should keep moving… after all, I doubt any of us want to be about if the dementors came back, least of all a defenseless squib." He finished off nonchalantly; making Mrs. Figg turned a dark red colour in both anger and embarrassment.

"A squib?" Harry quickly questioned before a fight could break out between the two. "You're a squib?" He was shocked. He had known Mrs. Figg for years; she had even been his babysitter when he was younger. Never once had she mentioned coming from a magical heritage, had she known who he was all this time? Somehow the thought made him feel oddly cold.

Her eyes softened a bit as she looked at him. Harry faintly noticed Dudley standing next to the light post, seeming distinctly uncomfortable with the situation they were in. "Yes Harry. I was sent by Dumbledore to look after you when he gave you to your relatives."

Harry gaped at her in shock. This woman had bandaged him up when his wounds had grown too dire, had taken him secretly to the hospital whenever an infection had set in that his magic couldn't quickly heal; she had fed him food and allowed him into her home… yet she had been a spy this whole time. Had everything she done been under orders? He felt oddly cold again with that thought. She had known who he was all these years and had never mentioned it, not even once. "Why?" He whispered hoarsely, watching as a look of confusion bloomed across her features. "Why did you never tell me?"

"No doubt they wanted to keep you in the dark." The teen holding him responded for her. Harry looked up at the boy, suddenly realizing the very intimate position he was being held in and oddly enough not caring about it. Teal coloured eyes looked down at him with concern and anger. Anger for him, he realized in shock. "After all, it does seem that these English wizards are rather fond of their 'little' white lies."

"Now listen here you! You have no right to judge you-"

"Excuse me." Dudley cut in, looking an odd combination of angry yet tired. He was still deathly pale and Harry could see faint tremors going through the taller boy's body. He was surprised that Dudley was still standing; no doubt he had felt the dementor's cruel effects more so than Harry thanks to his muggle blood. "But it's late, me and my cousin were just attacked by some sort of monster and I just want to go home and sleep! So if you don't mind!" He gestured angrily towards Private Drive and continued walking, not sparing a glance back to see if he was being followed or not.

The teen holding him gave a put out sigh while continuing to walk. "Are you feeling alright?" He questioned lightly as they walked down the path to Private Drive. "I'm not putting any strain on your injuries am I?"

Harry blinked in surprise at the worry in the teen's voice and quickly shook his head. "No, I feel alright." He felt embarrassed to admit it but no one had ever held him with so much care before, or had been concerned over his health like this. It felt oddly nice. Taking a moment he quickly studied his savior under the dim lighting in the sidewalk. The teen looked to be a few years older than him at the most and much to Harry's irritation was taller than him by at least a foot. Than again, that wasn't too much of a shocker given his own small height. His hair was an inky black that made his pale aristocratic features stand out more. His eyes kept drawing Harry in, there was something familiar about those teal orbs, yet he couldn't place what it was. Even if he hadn't known the teen had saved his life he would have easily figured out that his rescuer was a wizard, his eyes seemed to shine with power, something muggles were unable to do.

Hearing an amused snort he curiously stared into teal coloured eyes. "Is there something on my face?" Harry quickly ducked his head. "Sorry." He murmured, feeling embarrassed at being caught staring.

The teen simply laughed in good humor. "What on earth are you apologizing for?" He shook his head. "Never mind, we're close to your home, apparently your secret 'guard'." The teen sneered a bit here as he looked towards the elderly woman. "Has decided to follow us to your residence, even while knowing she wouldn't be much help should danger come about."

"I say young man!" Mrs. Figg screeched, her voice echoing through the quiet street save for Dudley's harsh breathing from in front of them. "You've been quite rude this whole night!" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I find it odd that you just happened to arrive in time to save these two boys, sure there isn't another reason involved?"

The teen's expression quickly dropped to a neutral mask, reminding Harry of the slytherins for a moment, oddly enough that thought didn't bother him as much as it would have once. Thanks to how close he was being held however, he could easily see the harsh fire quickly lighting the boy's teal eyes; as he struggled not to give in to his anger. Idly Harry wondered if the slytherins were like this as well, hiding all of their emotions except for a rare few they let shine through their eyes. "Are you trying to imply something squib?" The older boy bit out harshly, making Harry flinch from the anger in his words. "What would you have rather me do, let their souls be sucked out from their bodies as they laid there helpless to defend themselves!?" He hissed at the older woman angrily, sounding distinctly snake like.

Miss Fig didn't back down however. "Of course not! But I know Dumbledore didn't sent you, you're just a boy after all!" Her face was blotchy red from her anger and irritation at the situation. "This area is protected from others, so I find it rather odd that you just happened to be here in time to save these two boys!"

The boy merely scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I may be a wizard but that doesn't mean I can't read a map or go muggle for the summer hols. This area has wards surrounding it for over a mile." He sneered angrily. "Any wizard traveling by bus would be able to recognize such work and grow curious. After dropping off my belongings I came back here through muggles means to figure out why there were wards in a muggle area, and that's when I ran into those vile creatures you daft woman! I didn't come here because of some nefarious schemes your pint sized brain decided to come up with!"

Harry shook his head a bit as he listened to the ongoing argument. Dudley seemed just as confused as he was but was perfectly content to stay out of the line of fire. Looking at Harry he gestured towards the others and rolled his eyes at the arguing pair, making Harry smile. While he would be perfectly content in letting them continue their argument, as he had learned to do for Ron and Hermione through the years; there were questions running through his mind that he desperately wanted answered.

"What…" He scrunched up his face as he noticed how raw his throat felt; apparently he must have screamed at some point when the dementors had surrounded him. "What happened?" He looked up curiously into teal eyes. "I remember seeing your patronus… it was a baby deer I think…" He shook his head, his mind was still fuzzy but he wanted answers before he gave into sleep. "Who are you?"

The boy's eyes softened when they looked down at him as he adjusted his grip on Harry, making him wrap his arms around the other's neck so as not to get jostled about too much. For once he was thankful he didn't weigh too much, he didn't imagine it would be all that fun for the teen to have to lug him all the way back to Private Drive if he were.

"My name is Serpens." The boy answered, not taking his eyes off Harry as they walked closer to number four. "I recently moved to England and decided to spend the summer hols exploring before school begins." He easily ignored Mrs. Figg's snort of disbelief and continued on. "While exploring this area I felt a deep chill and decided to investigate." Here he tightened his grip on Harry, making him blush faintly. No one really touched him besides Hermione whenever she gave him her suffocating hugs; it felt odd being held so securely by another. "I found you and your cousin only seconds away from death's door and decided to save you both." He glared at Mrs. Figg. "Only to have some old squib come around and give me grief about it."

She turned red in her anger as she quickly whirled around to glare at the older boy again. "Now see here!"

"We're here." Dudley announced awkwardly, stopping the fight before it could begin. He looked uncomfortable as they both leveled a glare at him. Coughing nervously into his hand he weakly gestured towards the mailbox with a number four proudly painted on its side. "Erm, this is mine and Harry's stop."

Mrs. Figg scowled before softening her eyes as she looked at Harry. "I'll leave you with your cousin now; though make sure you keep your wand with you, better to be careful in these times after all." She gave a pointed glare to Serpens before moving to walk to her own home. "I'll let Dumbledore know what happened, so just get some rest now."

Harry nodded numbly, still a bit in shock at finding out his babysitter had actually been a squib all these years, and had a way to contact Dumbledore from the sounds of it. It made him feel uneasy. Mrs. Figg had watched him grow up, yet she had never breathed a word to him about his heritage. Even when he was feeling lost and scared about his powers she hadn't thought to tell him the truth. He wondered if she had ever mentioned his injuries to Dumbledore, and if she had… why had the Headmaster never mentioned it? Why did he insist on Harry spending his summers in Private Drive?

Serpens sighed in relief as he watched Figg walk away. "Thank Merlin she's gone." He muttered. Dudley snorted but quickly hid it behind a cough. "Yeah erm, should you let Harry go now?" Dudley questioned curiously as he took in the firm grip the teen had on his cousin. "Not sure how my parents will react to him being held like that." He continued apologetically.

Serpens scowled but made no move to let go of Harry. "I looked over your cousin when I went to check on you both." He smiled coldly at Dudley, looking distinctly snake like. "Were you aware that he has multiple injuries along with broken ribs? The fact that he's even awake right now is a miracle in and of itself."

Dudley paled as he looked over Harry with a worried expression of his own. "Blimey Harry!" He looked guilty as they moved across the lawn to the front door. Serpens stopped for a moment to seemingly glare at nothing before continuing forward with a pleased expression on his lips. "I… I hadn't known it was that bad…"

Harry smiled weakly and shook his head, his head was pounding and he was sure he would fall asleep at any given moment with how exhausted he felt. Right now, he didn't want to deal with his cousin's guilt. After all, he was rarely around anymore; and his father's actions weren't his fault. "It's fine Dudley." He winced as he faintly heard screaming coming from inside the house. "Though we should probably go in now."

Serpens snorted. "These muggles sound barbaric."

Harry looked at him curiously. "Are you a pureblood?" It would make sense after all, especially since the older teen didn't seem to have a strong opinion on Mrs. Figg, though even Harry was unsure of what to think about her at the moment.

The teen nodded as he lazily watched Dudley unlock the front door. "First generation." At the confused look he received he explained further. "Both of my parents were half bloods, and my grandparents were magical despite one of them being a squib." He shrugged, or attempted to while holding onto Harry. "That makes me a first generation pureblood, I'll explain more later."

Harry nodded and smiled hesitantly. He felt oddly happy at knowing the teen wasn't going to disappear if he closed his eyes. While he didn't know much about Serpens he would be lying if he didn't admit to feeling safe in the older boy's presence. Besides, he hadn't looked at Harry's scar once, until now Harry hadn't realize just how many people seemed to know him for his scar instead of who he really was. And now that he met Serpens, he wanted to know more about this strange pureblood who had rescued him and his muggle cousin. Maybe if he was lucky, they could even become friends. Smiling at the thought he leaned his head against the teen's chest. "Thank you for saving us."

Serpens snorted. "_Thank you_ for not putting up a fuss at me holding you." He grinned, showing off his longer than normal canines. "It would have been a chore lugging you back here if you had squirming about the whole way."

Harry mock scowled before smiling. "Yeah yeah…"

Dudley shook his head at the two before opening the door, wincing as the volume of Vernon's shouts instantly increased from the dull noise it had been just moments before.

"BLASTED BOY!" The man shouted from behind the kitchen door.

Dudley looked confused before turning back to stare at the two wizards. "Um... don't suppose either of you know what he's going on about now do you?" At their twin expressions of disbelief he rolled his eyes. "Right then." He walked into the house, quietly closing the door once Serpens was inside. The teen looked around with an air of disgust. "How utterly mundane." He squinted at a picture of Dudley when he was four. "Is that beach ball wearing a suit?" He asked in stunned disbelief.

Dudley blushed crimson before suddenly finding his shoes interesting as Harry tried in vain to muffle his chuckles. "I might have been a bit overweight back then…:"

Serpens immediately stared at him in awe. "Merlin a bit?! I couldn't even tell you were human!"

"Dudley?" Petunia's voice came from the kitchen, making the two of them jump while Harry flinched as his ribs were jostled at the sudden movement.

Serpens quietly whispered an apology while Dudley replied to his mother. "Erm yeah mum, in here with Harry and…" He looked questionably at Serpens. "A friend" There was a loud noise in the kitchen as a chair was roughly moved aside before the door opened to reveal a worried looking Petunia and a puce coloured Vernon.

"Oh my dear boy you're alright aren't you?" She tittered nervously as she quickly moved towards Dudley; inspecting him for any injuries he might have much to his irritation. He grimaced as tried to move away from her, drawing her attention to Serpens. Her eyes seemed to pass by Harry's as she blankly looked over his tired and wounded form the teen's arms. "What have you done now boy?" She asked with venom in her voice making Serpens growl lowly. She flinched back in surprised as she looked into angered teal orbs.

"He's wounded and exhausted, yet you have the nerve to treat him like a criminal? Unbelievable." He muttered angrily. "You muggles really are blind." He glared back at a seriously irate Vernon. "Though given your presumed intelligence I shouldn't be surprised."

Vernon seemed to finally lose it at that. "Now you listen here!" He roared angrily before pointing a stubby finger at the Harry. "That blasted boy has been enough trouble! We've fed and clothed him, kept a roof under his head and for what! For him to get expelled out of that freakish school of his for one of his magic tricks!" He snarled angrily, ignoring the shocked look of stunned disbelief Dudley was giving him. Harry grimaced at that, Dudley was never home anymore; he had barely spent any time around his family for the past few years. No doubt he probably had forgotten just how cruel his father could become when it came to Harry.

Harry suddenly paled as Vernon's words finally registered in his mind. "What?" He questioned weakly, drawing everyone's attention to him. "I'm expelled?" He shook his head, stuck in a daze. "But… it can't be… I didn't…"

"Oh you sure are boy." Vernon sneered angrily, waving about a missive from the ministry in his hand. "This came while you were off doing who knows what! And good riddance I say! We always knew you were trouble, just be glad you didn't try any of your freakiness on Dudley here! Else it would be on the streets with you!"

"Enough."

Serpens voice was cold as his magic quickly wrapped around the Dursleys. It pulsed with dark intent, making them shiver in fear at the feeling of darkness pervading through their home. Harry was surprised. The magic, while dark didn't scare him at all. It felt safe and familiar to him as it moved around him gently; seemingly trying to offer him comfort. The events of the day quickly caught up to him then and before he could stop himself he was falling asleep, his body much too tired to deal with everything that had happened. Tiredly he decided he would deal with everything he had learned today in the morning, for now… he would rest…

Teal coloured eyes softened as Harry leaned against his chest, clearly worn out from the night's events as his eyes fluttered close. "Don't worry mother, this will all be fixed." He whispered softly before glaring once more at the Dursleys, who were now trembling in fear as they watched him with wary eyes. "If you have any sense of preservation I advise you to leave for a few days, perhaps visit some family or whatnot." He smiled wickedly at the two. "Unlike Harry here I am allowed to use a wand, and have no qualms in cursing muggle scum." With that he walked up the stairs, Dudley following numbly behind him.

* * *

Dudley quietly closed the door behind him, staring at Serpens as he slowly ran a hand through Harry's hair. Even in sleep the bespectacled teen moved towards the gentle touch, making Dudley's heart pang as he realized just how deprived of care Harry had been.

"Are they gone?"

Dudley jumped in surprise at the soft voice, not having expected the other teen to sound so polite towards him after seeing how his parents treated his cousin. "Yeah." He nodded nervously as he looked around the room. "They'll be gone for a week, off visiting my Aunt Marge at her home."

"I…" Dudley swallowed thickly as he stared at Harry, noticing just how pale and thin his cousin was. The room they were in was painfully empty of personal items, only having the bare essentials like a desk and bed. A few of how own broken toys still littered the floor, reminding him quite vividly just how horrible he was in his youth. The owl cage was empty; he supposed she was off hunting or sending a letter to one of Harry's friends. "I hadn't known it was so bad, and now he can't even escape to his school…"

Serpens snorted as he turned to watch Harry sleep. "That letter was a joke, especially since I was the one who cast the spell." He shrugged. "It should be cleared up soon and then he'll be back to Hogwarts in no time however…" His eyes turned cold as he continued. "There were over seven locks on his door, and a cat flap." He turned slightly to watch as Dudley paled from the information. "So how…" He asked as he stood up to tower over the other boy. "Could you have not known it was 'this bad'?"

Dudley looked to the floor in shame. "Since I was thirteen… I just couldn't take it… I knew they didn't treat him that great and didn't want to be a part of it anymore, so I stopped coming home, and spent most of my time at the auto shop or anywhere else I could think of… I… bullying is terrible." He looked down at his hands, his eyes distant as he thought on a long since past memory. "I learned that the hard way…"

Serpens nodded in agreement, watching Dudley with a curious expression. "How so?"

Dudley flinched before sighing tiredly. "A few years back… a kid named Evans used to live here…" He looked off to the side, a self depreciating smile on his lips. "Small kid, a bit of a loner, during the school year when Harry was off learning magic me and my old group of friends liked to bully him." He ran a hand through his hair shakily. "We were terrible to the kid, I don't think I ever saw him smiling, just crying."

He took a shaky breath. "When I was twelve… he didn't show up to school for almost a week, the teachers knew why of course, but no one was telling us anything." His eyes shined as they filled with tears. "He… he tried to kill himself… almost succeeded too. I later found out he had taken all of his parents medicine… he just couldn't take what we were doing to him and wanted out." Dudley shook his head. "It was all my fault. I was so cruel to him! I made his life so unbearable that he just didn't want to live anymore…" He stepped away suddenly, trying to discreetly wipe away his tears. "After that I started to change, I didn't want to be the reason anyone died… I didn't want to be a _murderer_." He shivered as he whispered those words, moving till he was next to Harry's bed. "I didn't know how to treat Harry though. After all, I made his life miserable growing up, I doubted he would want anything to do with me; so I just left him alone." His brown eyes grew determined as he looked at Serpens. "I know my parents are terrible, they'll never win any awards for their parenting but… if I had known how bad it was…" He sighed softly. "I would have done something… I wouldn't have left him to face it alone." He winced. "Not anymore…"

Serpens nodded and walked over, his eyes focused on the old secondhand chair the Dursley's had given Harry when he was eleven. The paint was chipped and the chair itself was wobbly with a screw or two missing. The teen kept inspecting it with his wand before speaking. "You should know." He started, his glowing teal eyes looking up at Dudley from his fringe. "The only reason you're still breathing right now is because I believe you."

Dudley smiled nervously. "I'll take what I can get at this point."

The older teen smirked before looking over at Harry's sleeping form. "We should get some rest; tomorrow's going to be a busy day for all of us."

Dudley nodded before looking at him in confusion. "Are you both going to the wizarding world?"

"Yep! I can't trust these English wizards to actually use their brain after all, so I need to gather a bit of information." Serpens chirped happily, his bright smile seeming almost menacing. "You're tagging along of course!"

Dudley blanched, his hand straying to his backside. "I don't mind Harry being magical but… I haven't had a great experience with his world." He started nervously. "Besides I'm a muggle, I wouldn't be able to go regardless."

Serpens laughed loudly at that, before cringing as he looked over to make sure Harry was still asleep. Once he'd confirmed the emerald eyed boy was still in Morpheus realm he turned his teal eyes to Dudley's brown. "Now why would I leave out loyal guard dog behind on this adventure?" Ignoring Dudley's spluttering at being called a dog he lazily stood up and waved his wand in the air, transfiguring the once rickety chair he had been inspecting into a comfortable looking cot. Smirking he looked at the gobsmacked teen before settling down in his transfigured bed for the night. "Don't look so worried!" He smiled wickedly while showing off his canines. "Everything will look better in the morning."

Somehow, Dudley highly doubted that.

* * *

**_A/N:_**_Next chapter will hold a few surprises as you guys can probably tell. Poor Dudley, never stood a chance. Just before the questions begin, Harry's relationship with Serpens will be an odd one (though it won't ever be romantic!). I don't see him casually mentioning out of the blue what his relation to Harry is, since he's less likely to believe it than a certain crimson eyes fellow. Not to mention he's older than Harry is at present time, so he can't really see himself being mothered. So for now he'll just be pretending to be a foreigner while he gets to know Harry and prevents his future from happening. While the story won't technically be bashing others, most of the light side will be unredeemable in this fic, with some exceptions here and there. So… don't get too attached? I think that's all for now, please review if you're enjoying the tale so far! They always make me smile when I see everyone enjoying this tale. _

_Till next time… _


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